Toy Story 3 Is Pixar At Its Best

Even after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the sequel I was cautiously skeptical as I bought my ticket to see Toy Story 3. I grew up with the characters of Woody, Buzz and Jessie, and I was afraid that Pixar might have caught a bad case of “milk it for all its worth” sequelitis. However, after 11 years of waiting for this movie, I was awed with the results. The movie was a perfect blend of humor, action, adventure and heart-warming moments.

Toy Story 3 opens up with an action-packed scene that stars the toys in a heroes vs. train robbers fight with space weapons, force fields and dinosaurs. The scene shows off the latest technological advancements in the world of computer animation since the last Toy Story movie. The audience is re-introduced to their favorite characters as seen in Andy’s imagination, with a touch of humor and a spaceship that looks suspiciously like the Millennium Falcon.

The rest of the movie is just as “Pixar perfect” as this opening scene, and details the toy gang’s adventures when it is revealed that Andy, their former owner is going off to college. Andy’s toys accidentally end up on the curb in a garbage bag, but are then donated to Sunnyside Daycare. At daycare, they learn that being played with by a dozen toddlers and living under the supervision of a tyrannical purple teddy bear is not what they expected.

The toys stage an elaborate prison-break and encounter hilarious hijinks along the way, including Buzz Lightyear’s Spanish mode being accidentally switched on, and the return of “the claw” joke. New characters are introduced including Ken(voiced by Michael Keaton) and Mr. Pricklepants(voiced by Timothy Dalton). The film even handles Andy’s transition into adulthood gently and does not overdo any emotions associated with the pains of growing out of “childish things.”

Toy Story 3 is a must-see for any lifelong Toy Story fan and Pixar/Disney lovers of all ages. The film does not disappoint and manages to go “to infinity and beyond” with Toy Story quality. You even get to hear “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” in Spanish. So, if you haven’t already, “run like the wind” and go see the new Toy Story movie.